QUANTUM~Billy Butcher

Bye Butch

By the time Butcher pulled up to Athenas home she was silent, the inevitable processing of all these events catching up in her rendering her silent. She stepped out of the vehicle and proceeded to walk to up the stairs to her house, glancing back at the car for a last time, Butchers head was face downwards to avoid anyone's eyesight, but mainly hers. "Bye Butch..." she mumbled to herself, turning around and letting herself in. A part of her wanted desperately to look back at him  final time, but she couldn't, she wouldn't allow her to do that to herself. 

But Butcher did. As Athena stepped into her house he watched her, he could see Prince already running to her before the door was even shut, and he felt an emptiness inside that he hadn't felt since Becca first disappeared, he longed to be walking in there with her, but he couldn't. So instead he drove away, leaving Athena for what he thought would be the last time.

Prince meowed constantly at his owner, demanding her to tell him what was wrong, but unfortunately Athena didn't speak cat, so was unable to know what he was saying to her. She just assumed he was hungry so she fed him before going upstairs to her room and climbing into the covers. She sighed and looked up to the ceiling. She really thought things were going to go differently, in her head they were going to save Becca and Ryan, get them some place safe and then they'd somehow take Homelander down and her and Butcher would ride off into the sunset. But it's never that easy is it? Happily ever afters don't come all bundled up in a nice package, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise. Athenas hands found their way to her nightstand, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a picture frame, it was of her and Kaylie, the day that Kaylie proposed to her. It was a beautiful picture, she had hired a photographer to hide and capture the moment. Athena remembered it like it was yesterday, they had gone to the zoo and were in the butterfly enclosure, when she turned around to see her lover on one knee and a gorgeous ring in her hand, of course she said yes. But with Kaylies diagnosis and untimely death, there was no wedding, no happy ever after.

It seemed that maybe they weren't possible for Athena.

Athena didn't even realise she had fallen asleep until the sound of her phone ringing woke her up, it was Annie. "Hey Annie." she greeted, trying to force her voice to sound more cheerful than it did. "Hi Tia- odd question but would you be able to come to set today? There's something I need your help with, we found something out on our little...trip." Shit, Athena completely forgot about Annies little side mission she did with MM and Hughie, she was so wrapped up in Butchers shit she forgot about her sister. "Of course, I'll be there ASAP". She hung up the phone and groaned, trying to find the strength to move out of bed, she knew where they were filming, at Vought studios of course, it wouldn't take long, especially since she wouldn't be driving that family car she gave Butcher.

Annie waited patiently on set for her sister to arrive, painfully trying to keep her cool around Stormfront, she tried some light banter with the Supe, but was met with nothing but a cold shoulder. A familiar hum from a car came into earshot and Annie breathed a sigh of relief, the crew started running around the set like headless chickens, yelling for the sound to be cut and for everything to stop rolling. Everyone stood around, shielding their eyes from the dust that was flicked towards them by Athenas car as it skidded to a halt, she stepped out in her suit, her hair perfectly styled, this was the look of a woman with power, very different from how she looked just half an hour ago. Athena smiled as she spotted Annie walking towards her, a little spring in her step as she hurried to embrace her, the hugged and Annie whispered close to the woman's ear, "Stormfront isn't who she says she is." Athena pulled away, a look of concern on her face as her eyes flickered towards where Stormfront was standing scrolling through her phone, she covered it up quickly by shouting to the crowd "Alright everybody break for lunch!" The woman had no authority to make that call on a movie set, but did people listen? yes they did.

The pair walked closely around the set as Annie told her older sister of what she had uncovered. That Stormfront was actually a superhero years ago that went by 'Liberty' and did some really fucked up racial shit, and now she's back In disguise as a new superhero. "That is so fucked up." Athena whispered, following Annie into the catering tent where they both grabbed something to eat, but Athena was confused as to why all the blood seemed to have drained from her sisters face, leaving her pale. She followed her eyesight to see Stormfront-or rather-Liberty, sat with a more older woman, that Athena could only assume was "Mom?" the lady looked up at her name and tears almost began to well in her eyes the second she laid her eyes on Annie, "Annie. Oh, you-you-you look so pretty." She stumbled over her words, and the stutter got worse as she looked at Athena, "Oh my goodness, Athena-."

"What are you doing here?" Annie questioned, cutting her conversation with Athena off I-I'm in town. I've been texting you for days. I-I-I wasn't trying to ambush you, I promise." Mrs January tried to say and to Athena it sounded genuine, maybe she did actually feel bad about what she had done to Annie, but certainly not to Athena, Athena was never her daughter, she didn't see her first steps, there was no birthdays or christenings or holy communions, there was nothing, so in turn, Athena was nothing to her. "Did you get any of the Vietnamese crepes? Cause they're dope." Annie forgot that Stormfront was there for a moment and barely gave her a side glance as she answered. "No, no, no, I'm good. Thanks." her eyes still fixed on her mother as she sat down at the table, Athena joining her, Stormfront and Annies mum went on about hero pageants for a moment before Annie cut them off "Mom, this isn't a great time."

"I-I know that you're busy, but you don't have to entertain me, I promise. I-I wanted to see you,
sweetheart. I... I miss you." She started to well with tears again as she spoke, but Annie did her best not to falter and Athena was proud "I think that this is something that you need to discuss
in private." Athena muttered, stabbing at the cold pasta on her plate, angered that her birth parent was there.  "Donna, can I tell her?" the two blondes raised a brow at Stormfront using their mothers first name " Look, your mom is so sorry about the Compound V, and she understands that keeping that a secret really hurt your relationship." 

Annie slammed her fist on the table as lightly as she could without breaking it, "Mine and her relationship? What about Athena? What about how you sold your first born to be injected with some unknown serum." Athena couldn't believe the rage coming from Annie and nearly choked on her food. "Annie..." Donna started, still not addressing her first born, "We were low on money, the mortgage on the house was killing us, as well as actually just being able to afford to live. and when we found out I was pregnant-"

"You jumped at the chance to make some money." Athena finally spoke directly to Donna, "You thought that maybe I would have a shot at a better life- or maybe that's just the lie you told yourself to justify you sending an innocent baby away, not giving a second thought to the pain she might endure, and even when you did have another child, you didn't nurture her, you used her as a trophy to make yourself feel important, because she was-and is- everything you will never be. She's a decent human being."